Table game



March 14, 1950 s. H. HOSMER ,683

TABLE GAME Filed May 20, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

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Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED, .STATES PATENT for-rice 2 .niaims.

This invention relates to table games, and pertainsmore particularly toa game similar in some respects :to" lawn "or table tennis and adaptedto be played on a table or other flat 'support, either indoorsioroutdoors.

Theprin cipal purpose of the-invention is to provide game apparatuswhichis simple and easy to manufacture and may be packed in acompact box orpackage, and which affords an interesting and enjoyable contestrequiring skill and accuracy in activeplay without appreciablephy'sical"effort.

The several novel features "of the improved game will be apparentfromthe following descrip 'tion of therecommendedembodiment ofthe in-"vention "shown in the accompanying drawings,

but it will be understood: that'the -struc'tur'al' details of thedevices herein "illustrated and :-described'may be variedt-osuitparticular tastesor purposes, without departing from the essence of theinvention as defined in the-appended-claims.

' In the drawings,

, Fig.1 isa plan view 'oi' the-playing surface of the game, withaportable net erected across the center of the surface;

Fig. 2 is side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation'of-Fig. 1, showing the playing surfaceresting on .a .flat support;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a striking implement or bat usediniplayingcthe'gam Fig. 5 is an end view of the bat, looking to the leftof Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top view of a propellable object or missile which is struckby the bat in playing the game;

Fig. "7 is a sideview-ofthe'missile; and

Fig. 8 is an end view of the missile.

In theparticular-embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, thenovel game apparatus comprises a playing surface H, a net l2 adapted tobe supported across the center of the playing surface between posts orstandards l3 mounted in base members M which may be removably placed atopposite margins of the surface H, a striking implement or bat l5, and amissile l6 adapted to be struck by the bat and propelled over the netfrom one end portion of the playing surface to the other end portionthereof. The net divides the playing surface into two identical courtsH.

The playing surface preferably consists of a strip of felt suitablyprinted, stenciled or otherwise marked to designate the court areas, sothat the felt strip may be compactly rolled up for shipment or storageand may be unrolled onto a table or other flat surface, represented bythe support 55 '28 ."(Fig.' 3), when the game-is to be played. it willbe obvious, howeven' -that the playing-surface may consistofctherilexible material, or of rigid materialisucl'i as fibreboard,light wood or metal, 5 or thin plastiamadeeitherin :one piece "or inhinged or connectable sections.

""Each' court area 11 isdivided'into a plurality of blocks .or'scoringzones '1 8 "which-may be substanxtially square-shapedareasmarkedpn thesurface "H, as shown. The -zonesare arranged in parallel rowslongitudinally and transversely of "the table, with an equal "number oneach Side of the center or net l ine", and the respective zones on "eachside of'the netaare numbered to designate l5 the scoring value oftheiindividual squares. The

valuesare': assessed according tothere'lative simplicity of returning atennis ball landing in the "correspondingcourtareas, inthe regulationgames of lawn ortable tennis. For example, the outer 20 cornersof thecourt are given the highest value (shown-as fi in Fig.1"), because atennis ball landing in those corners isseldom returnable; whereas thecenter court zones are given the lowest value (shown as "Tin Fig.-1),*-because .25 tennis shots landing-in'thoseareas are relatively easyto return. 'Hence, the' score or a contestant playing my table game willdepend upon his skill in placing his shotsin the high-scoring zones"which correspond "to most favorableplacement areas in lawn-tennis.

The net 12 may be madeof stringer twine in a conventional manner, or'mayconsist of "a fabric or paper strip with the representation-of a netprinted or otherwise reproduced'thereon. The

posts-l3 and their bases, which maybe separable if desired, may be made'of wood-or plastic, and the net ends may be attached to 'theposts byany suitable-means.

The implements actually used in play consist 40 of the bat l5 and themissile or rocket [6, both of which may be made of hard wood, plastic orrelatively hard rubber. The use of metal orof soft, resilient rubber isundesirable; but certain types of such materials may be employed.

The bat has a handle portion l9 and a head 20 having opposed strikingedges. One striking edge of the head preferably presents a broad, flatstriking surface 2 l whereas the opposite edge is beveled and pointed at22 to provide an alternate, rela- 0 tively narrow striking surface.Thus, either edge of the head may be used in strikingthe missile, asindicated by the two arrows shown in Fig. 4, according to the positionof the missile or the preference of the player.

The missile or rocket is shaped to provide a relatively long, narrow andflat top surface 23, and an inclined bottom surface 24 at one undercutend, at least, of the piece. Preferably, the bottom surface is beveledor inclined at both undercut ends of the missile, as shown in Fig. 7, sothat either end of the top surface may be struck by the bat when therocket rests upon the curved central portion of its base (Fig. 7), orupon one of the [beveled bottom surfaces 24. The proper striking pointsmay be indicated by small circles 25, as indicated in Fig. 6, at bothends of the surface 23. It will be appreciated, however, that a missileor rocket having but one undercut and in clined end may besatisfactorily used in playing the game, as hereafter explained.

The novel game may be played by two or four contestants, as in lawntennis, each player, or each pair of partners, keeping separate scoresas It will be apparent from the foregoing that the improved table gameis interesting and exciting to play, and may be quickly learned byjuvenile as well as more adult participants; that judgment inpositioning the missile or rocket and in selecting the striking edge ofthe bat, as well as skill in execution of the stroke, is necessary formaximum scoring on each shot; and that the game may be played byphysically handicapped contestants, without requiring the strength,stamina or physical capabilities necessary for playing the regulationgame of table tennis.

I claim: I

1. For use in a table game comprising a playing surface adapted to beplaced upon a flat support and having scorin zones marked thereon, and anet for centrally dividing said surface into two courts, a missileadapted to be propelled the points are made during play. The player whoserves or opens the game places the rocket at the baseline or end of thecourt, preferably at the space marked Start in Fig. 1. The rocket isrested in its rounded bottom, or one one of its undercut bottomsurfaces, and with one of the undercut ends pointed toward the net. Thetop surface of said forward pointing end is then struck sharply with thebat, using either the thick and flat edge 2|, or the thin and pointededge .22 of the head 20, as preferred by the player, thereby causing therocket to jump end over end toward the net.

The object of the game is to so strike the rocket that it jumps over thenet and lands on the opposite court of the playing surface, preferablyupon one of the high-scoring zones. The length of the rocket ispreferably a little greater than the sizes of the squares l8 marked onthe playing surface, the views of Figs. 6-8 being enlarged for clarityof illustration as compared with the scale of Fig. 1 which issubstantially reduced from actual size. If the rocket finally lands upontwo squares of the court, the player scores the value of thehigher-scoring square or zone on which a part of the rocket comes torest.

The opposing player then places the rocket in striking position at thespot where it has come to rest, and returns the shot'by striking theforward end with the bat, as aforesaid. If the first shot or play, orany succeeding shot, propels the rocket out of the court or into thenet, no score is credited to the player, and the opposing player placesthe rocket at the Start position of his court. If agreed by thecontestants, each player may have a second shot from the same position,in the event that the first shot does not land somewhere in the oppositecourt. The game continues until one player, or one set of partners, hasscored twenty-five points, or such other total as may be determined.

from one court to the other, said missile consisting of a fiat-sided andflat-topped rigid object, at least one end of said object havinganundercut inclined bottom surface extending from said flat topco-extensive with the flat sides of the object to the bottom thereof,substantially midway of the length of the object, whereby an impact onthe fiat top adjacent the undercut end of the object resting on itsbottom will cause the missile to jump end over end.

2. For use in a table game comprising a playing surface adapted to beplaced upon a flat support and having scoring zones marked thereon, anda net for centrally dividing said surface into two courts. a missileadapted to be propelled from a fiat sided and fiat-topped rigid objecthaving at its opposite ends undercut and inclined surfaces co-extensivewith the fiat sides of the object and extending to the bottom thereof,said bottom having an arcuate surface disposed between said inclinedsurfaces and substantially in the longitudinalcenter of theobject,whereby the missile rocks on its arcuate bottom and whereby an impact onthe top of the missile, at either end portion thereof will cause themissile to jump end over end.

GEORGE HAMMOND HOSMER.

" EFERENCES cr'rnn The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Welna Mar. 30, '1937

